So, this table cost me around five pounds. Just let that sink in for a second. Okay. So. I had been scouring the internet for months trying to find the most perfect side table for my living room. Had to have a marble top (soooo on trend right now), had to be mid-century style, because again, trendy, but it had to cost me less than a months rent. Houston we have a problem. Had, I mean had.

I was doing my usual rounds in Wilkinsons the other day (you can find me in aisle four touching up the fluffy blankets) when I came across the most horrendous looking kid's stool for £4. Don't even ask me why I took note of it - maybe it was down to all of that bulk watching of DIY shows in my youth - but I did, and I'm pretty sure I'm going back to get more.

For £4, you'd expect some sort of awful fake wood material, right? Well on close inspection (seriously, I spent a good ten minutes making sure it was real wood grain I was feeling) it turns out that under all that awful blue paint was solid tree. Utter bliss. So anyway..

Wait, am I boring you? What do you mean you only came here to see how to make the table, and not here the life story behind it!? Ugh, okay. But I promise you're missing out. Onto how it's done.

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

Sand the hell out of ugly stool using coarse sandpaper and big handful of elbow grease.

STEP 3:

Brush off leftover paint residue and apply paint primer if you're fancy (I'm not fancy so I didn't).

STEP 4:

Apply one coat of matte white furniture paint and leave to dry (I'm impatient, so didn't).

STEP 5:

Apply another coat of paint to ensure all wood/coloured paint is covered. I actually did leave it to dry this time - possibly because I had a nap. Should only take a few hours!

STEP 6:

Once dry, cut contact paper roughly to size and place onto the table top as neatly as possible. Don't worry too much about a few air bubbles, as they can either be pushed out or popped with a tiny needle. A little bit of heat tends to help with making it really flat too. So full of wisdom, right?

STEP 7:

Using some really fine sandpaper (or a cheap nail file, like I did), file the edges of the table top to make the contact paper weak at the bends. It's a weird trick Ollie taught me from his skateboarding days, but it works so so well.

STEP 8:

Keep on filing until excess paper comes away from the table. Sand off any extra bits.

STEP 9:

Gaze at your new creation, pretend you're a super savvy DIY person like me and high five yourself. Boom.